Vibratory switch, chiefly for ignition systems



July 6,1965 M. E. LIESSE 3,193,642

VIBRATORY SWITCH, CHIEFLY FOR IGNITION SYSTEMS Filed Feb. 15. 1963 Arrv.

United States Patent 3,193,642 VIBRATORY SWITCH, CHIEFLY FOR I Y IGNITION SYSTEMS Maurice Etienne Liesse, 27 Ave. Beaurepaire,

' Saint-Maur, France Filed Feb. 15, 1963, Ser. No. 258,797 Claims priority, application France, Feb. 20, 1962,

1 Claim. (a. 200-90 My invention has for its object a circuit breaker chiefly for ignition systems of the type including in the primary circuit of an induction coil, a circuit breaker adapted to produce, in response to a mechanical controlling impulse, the sudden closing and opening of said primary circuit of the induction coil with a view to producing across the terminals of the secondary circuit of the latter, a high voltage adapted to make an ignition spark jump.

In all known ignition systems of this type, the spark is often insufficient and cannot lead to the desired ignition. This is the case for instance when it is desired to ignite the heavy vapors of certain gases such as butane, propane and the like.

My invention has for its object to avoid this possible failure of conventional circuit-breakers of a known type and it consists chiefly in providing a multiple circuit breaker adapted to produce in response to a single controlling impulse, a series or burst of circuit openings at uniform intervals, so as to obtain not a single spark but a series of sparks which is sufiicient for instance for heating, to the extent required, the region of ignition.

The operation of a multiple circuit-breaker designed in such a manner is very simple and does not lead to any intricacy for the controlled ignition circuit.

A multiple circuit-breaker according to my invention,

includes chiefly a movable elastic carrier adapted to oscillate to either side of a neutral position between two contact-making stops arranged in registry with a movable contact-piece fitted on said carrier while a control member is urged elastically towards an inoperative position and removable connecting means are provided between said control member and said movable carrier so as to allow a release of the latter for a position of the control member beyond a predetermined distance from its inoperative position.

In a simple embodiment, the movable carrier is constituted by an oscillating blade subjected to the action of a weight while the removable connecting means are constituted by a magnet associated with its armature, one of these two latter parts, the magnet and the armature, being carried by said weight and the other by the control member.

Through this arrangement, when the control member is in its inoperative position, it ensures through magnetic attraction, the holding of the movable carrier fast in its inoperative position. When, in contradistinction, it is shifted away from its inoperative position by an amount suflicient for cutting out magnetic attraction, so as to enter a position for which the elastic return force of the movable carrier is higher than magnetic attraction, the movable carrier now released oscillates at its natural frequency, each alternation of its movement providing a closing and an opening'of a circuit between the movable contact-piece, on the one hand, and one of the stationary contact-making stops, on the other hand.

According to an advantageous feature of my invention, the oscillating blade forming the carrier is mounted in a support at one end, and there is provided a pivotal area for said blade in the immediate proximity of the mounted end so as to reduce the rigidity of the blade in said pivotal area, while the movable contact-piece is located adjacent the last-mentioned area; said arrangement allows increasing considerably the force urging said movable contactpiece against the cooperating stationary contact-making stops. 7

The features and advantages of my invention will appear clearly from the reading of the following description, reference being made by way of example to the accompanying drawing of which the single figure is a diagrammatic view of a circuit breaker, according to the invention.

In the embodiment illustrated by way of exemplification, a yielding blade 1, loaded at one end by the weight of a magnet 2, is mounted at its other end between the insulating supports 3 and 4. The same insulating supports carry to either side of the blade and at a distance therefrom, two connecting rods 5 and 6 in which are fitted respectively contact-making abutment screws 7 and 8 registering with a double movable contact-piece 10 cartied for this purpose by the blade.

A small plate 11 of ferro-magnetic material is pivotally secured to a spindle 12 lying substantially in the plane of the blade at a level which is substantially the same as that of the mounted end of said blade; a return spring 13 urges the small plate normally against a stationary stop 14 in a manner such that when the small plate is thus inoperative, its outer end lies in the field of the magnet 2 and forms an armature engaged by the latter. A control pin 16 registers with the small plate 11 and shifts the latter against the action of the return spring 13 when it is subjected to a force in the direction illustrated by the arrow 17. An ignition or induction coil is illustrated diagrammatically at 20 with its primary winding 21 insorted in a primary circuit including a supply of DC. 22 and connected through wires 23 and 24 respectively with the blade 1 and with one or both contact-carrying rods 5 and 6 while a condenser 25 is inserted between the wires 23 and 24. The secondary winding 26 of the ignition coil is connected with a pair of ignition or sparking plug electrodes illustrated diagrammatically at 27.

When the pin 16 urges the small plate 11 upwardly, the latter pivots around the spindle 12 and has a tendency to be released with reference to the magnet 2 which makes the blade 1 bend upwardly by reason of the attractive force exerted on the small plate. The blade engages thus the upper contact-piece 8 through its movable contactpiece 10. The elastic force urging the blade back into its neutral position becoming larger than the attractive force exerted bet-ween the magnet 2 and the small plate, said magnet is released suddenly with reference to the small plate so that the blade starts oscillating and engages in alternation, the two stationary contact-making stops 7 and 8. Each oscillation leads to a closing .and to an opening of the circuit of the primary winding 21 and consequently to the production of a spark between the electrodes 27.

In proximity with its fixed end, the blade 1 has a pivotal area 18 formed by a section of a reduced cross-section or else by a recessed section of the blade or else by a true pivotal link which has for its result a transfer of a large fraction of the reaction of the oscillatory forces onto the contact-pieces 7 and 8 and a considerable increase of the contact pressure between the cooperating contact-pieces.

The weight of the magnet 2 allows obtaining, as required by the operator and in accordance with the fea tures of the electric circuit to be considered, any sparking frequency within .a large range of frequencies while retaining a size of apparatus consistent with practical embodiments.

When the small plate 11 returns to its inoperative position aganist the stop 14, the magnet 2 is again held fast in contact wtih said plate so that the blade remains in its medial inoperative position for which the circuit remains open; the whole arrangement is furthermore stable and is not sensitive to outer vibrations.

My invention is obviously not limited to the details of the embodiment described and illustrated and it covers all the modifications thereof falling within the scope of the accompanying claim. Thus, the movable carrier may be given any desired structure according to the application considered. In particular, if a comparatively low frequency is desired, it is possible to resort to a disc revolving round its axis between two stops and carrying a weight through the agency of a coaxial helical or the like spring, said compound carrier for the movable 'contactpiece being associated through magnetic or the like connecting means with the control member ensuring its oscillation.

What I claim is: A circuit breaker comprising two stationary contactrnaking stops, an elastic member extending bet-ween the stops and adapted to oscillate between the stops to either side of a neutral position and to close a circuit transiently and alternately with at least one of the stops as the elastic member oscillates and alternately contacts the stops, the elastic member having a free end, a permanent magnet carried by the free end of the elastic member, and an armature selectively movable relative to the permanent magnet to set the elastic member in oscillation, the armature being attracted to the magnet with a force such that the armature and the magnet remain in contact with each other until after movement of said armature forces said elastic member against one of said stops, whereby the magnet performs the dual function both of attracting the armature andof providing weight means on the free end of the elastic member to augment the contact between the elastic member and the stops, and said stops perform the dual function both of making electrical contact with the elastic member and of regulating the position at which the magnet and the armature disengage from each other.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT K. SCHA EFER, Examiner. 

